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No. I’m pretty sure I didn’t say anything wrong this time. He was fine when I left him with Lara, but when I came back, he looked as if he’d just seen a ghost.
I thought I could make Antonio happy. I thought I could help lighten his burden. For a moment there, I felt like I’d succeeded. But then why does he seem worse now?
What on earth is wrong with him?
“Is something wrong?” Sally barges into my thoughts with her question. “You’ve been sulking since I arrived.”
Have I? I suppose so. I’d even forgotten that she was here.
“Don’t you like the stuff I got for Lara?” she asks.
“No.” I wave my hands in front of me. “I mean yes. They’re all very pretty.”
I pick up a grey dress with a rainbow and a tutu skirt from the pile in front of me. Right now, it’s too big for Lara, but I can already imagine her wearing it, walking around in it. The thought makes me smile.
“Thank you,” I tell Sally.
She returns my smile. “It’s my pleasure. Actually, you made one of my dreams come true.”
“Really?”
“I have two boys, you see. They’re nine and twelve now. I wanted another child, a girl, but my last pregnancy was a little difficult and after a miscarriage, Wilson and I decided two were enough.”
I frown. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Sally shakes her head. “It’s not wrong. Those two are more than enough. They can be a bit rowdy sometimes. And messy. Boys, dogs and mud go together. Also, there’s the matter of the toilet seat. No matter how many times I remind them to put it down, I still find myself jumping when the cold ceramic comes in contact with my skin in the middle of the night.”
I grin at the image.
“But that’s better than having to wipe pee off the bathroom floor and walls.” She lifts a finger. “Word of advice. If you ever have a son, don’t forget to teach him to aim.”
To illustrate her point, she makes a fist, holds it between her legs, and moves it in different directions.
I nod. “I will.”
Not that I think I’ll ever have a son. I’ve never even thought of having my own child until now, now that I realize how much joy a baby can bring.
“Anyway, like I said, you made my dream come true.” Sally holds up a yellow and white polka-dot dress with a big bow around the waist. “I can’t wait to see her in this. She’s going to be the cutest baby around here.”
“True,” I agree as I glance at the rocker, which Sally also bought.
Lara seems to love it even more than the bassinet, probably because of all the colorful toys attached to it, which she’s happily playing with now.
Sally kneels in front of her. “Too bad she didn’t get your hair. I bet she’d be even more adorable.”
I take a few strands of my hair between my fingers. Sally thinks it’s a pretty color? I never thought of it that way. I just didn’t dye it because I wanted to keep a part of myself the same.
“Does her father have brown hair?” Sally asks.
“Yeah,” I answer uneasily.
I haven’t really thought about what to say regarding Lara’s father, so the topic makes me uncomfortable.
“And blue eyes,” Sally adds. This time, she’s not asking but stating a fact. “If Antonio had a baby, I’m sure it would have blue eyes, too.”
I pause as Sally’s words bring a thought to mind. Antonio was carrying Lara when his mood changed. What if he was looking into her eyes and he suddenly started thinking the same thing Sally just did. What if Lara made him think of the future or remember something in the past, like a woman he wanted to have a baby with?
“Why hasn’t Antonio gotten married?” I ask Sally.
I told myself I wouldn’t pry, but my curiosity is killing me. Especially after what happened yesterday, I want to know more about the man who has taken me into his home. I want to understand him so I can truly help him.
“That is the question, isn’t it?” Sally says. “He’s a doctor. He’s hot. He’s got money. And yet he’s single.” She sighs. “Such a waste.”
So she doesn’t know either?
“If you ask me, though, I think he’s scared. He’s afraid that if he takes that big step forward into the future, he’ll leave his past behind, and he’s not ready to do that yet. Either that or he doesn’t want to share himself with someone when he still feels incomplete.”
Now I’m even more curious.
“What do you mean? Did something happen to him in the past?”
Sally stands up. She keeps her back turned to me as she draws a deep breath.
“I suppose if you’re going to keep living here, you have a right to know. The whole town knows anyway. Even if I don’t tell you, you’ll find out eventually.”
